Magic Sports gets first V'land approval

Residents voice concern over traffic

Dec. 8, 2012

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At a glance The proposed Magic Sports complex includes plans for: • A 500-room hotel and 50,000-square foot indoor water park along with a 7-acre outdoor water park. The hotel also would contain an approximately 25,000-square-foot conference center and three restaurants. • An office/fitness center. It would be in a 16,000-square-foot building consisting of a 4,000-square-foot medical office, a 4,000-square-foot daycare center and an 8,000-square-foot fitness center. In addition to the four buildings, the plan includes: • Seven tennis courts. • One outdoor track/football field. • 12 outdoor baseball diamonds. • Eight softball fields. • Four soccer/lacrosse fields. • An outdoor recreation area. • Two special purpose fields.

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VINELAND — Magic Sports of New Jersey received its first approvals from the Zoning Board for its $350 million proposed complex, clearing the way for developers to move to the site plan review phase in March.

Residents who turned out to testify Thursday night waited four hours until lengthy testimony from Magic Sports experts ended before it was their turn to talk. Residents demanded assurance that neighborhood traffic won’t increase during the 13 weeks of summer when the proposed Magic Sports complex is at its peak with teams and tournaments.

After hearing testimony from 16 residents, the approvals for height and use variances were given by a vote of six yes and one no.

The use variances were needed to convert a building on Sheridan Avenue at Lincoln Avenue into a holistic health center and daycare center for employees of Magic Sports. The height variance was needed to allow the five-story hotel and arena to be built.

Members who voted yes included Jeffrey Francesconi, Edward Avena, Robert Ortega, Alan Angelo, Leroy Goldblatt and John Cheli.

Elaine Greenberg, the zoning board vice chairman, said she voted no because she felt the proposed conversion of the house to a health center and daycare should be moved into the Magic Sports complex itself.

“It’s a beautiful piece of land that borders this development,” said Greenberg. “I have issue with what Magic Sports wants to be done in the R6 (residential) zone.”

Magic Sports now moves into the site plan phase of its proposal. A site plan is an architectural plan with a detailed engineering drawing of proposed improvements.

Ron Nametko, the president and founder of Magic Sports, wants to build the complex on a 278-acre tract that includes a defunct sand mining operation as well as unused land.

“I was very pleased with our presentation of the project by our land-use attorney, Michael Fralinger, and that the Vineland Zoning Board, as well as many of the residents of Vineland, understands the benefits this project will bring to the region. We appreciate their confidence and support,” Nametko said.

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The land — part of which belongs to South Jersey Industries and more that belongs to Jay Morie, a local resident — is under sale agreements. The settlement is pending city approvals.

Magic Sports officials said they plan to provide an extensive traffic study to determine any traffic impacts for Lincoln and Sheridan avenues, Main Road and Route 55 and Hance Bridge Road areas.

Magic Sports plans to submit the site plan to the planning board in mid-March.

At Thursday’s meeting, residents lined up to offer comment on the project, including voicing concern over traffic.

Resident Vic Rone, whose property abuts the Magic Sports tract, said though he had nothing against the proposed project, he was concerned about noise and traffic.

“Two things I am concerned about. One of them is noise. I don’t know what 5,000 people in my back yard is going to do,” Rone said.

He voiced a concern about traffic on Main Road and near the Route 55 exit.

“Keep this is mind. I am not against the project. But take a lot of consideration about the traffic and these factors when you are thinking of these things,” Rone said.

Local resident Craig Lapena agreed that road improvements would be needed if Magic Sports were to be built.

“The issues we have are really about the traffic heading south on Route 55,” Lapena said. “When you are heading south and you come near Route 47 or Route 49 in the summer you hit traffic that is already backed up for miles.”

Lapena wanted to know whether residents would have to pay for road improvements. The board told him any road improvements would have to be paid for by the developers.

He called the talk about Magic Sports “a lot of pie in the sky.”

“What if we build it and they don’t come?” Lapena asked. “It looks great, but my fear is that it’s not as much as what is proposed. We need to stop looking at the potentials and look more in the practical.”

Resident Pearl Giordano said she loved the plan because it made Vineland “a destination.”

“The most beautiful part of the plan is that it will give young people confidence,” Giordano said. She was speaking of the park’s proposed high angle rope climbs and multi-story water slides.

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“This is an opportunity. I look at what this can bring into the community and it fills up my heart. This is a saving grace for the whole county and the best gift you could give here.”

Resident Joseph Melchiore, a member of a local labor union, said he felt Magic Sports would bring jobs to help him and his family.

About two dozen union workers wearing orange t-shirts filled the front rows of the City Hall council chambers in support of Magic Sports.

He said his labor union has seen a lack of work recently.

“A lot of people can’t put food on their tables,” Melchiore said. “When I hear about Magic Sports I think of the job opportunity its going to create. I would love it to happen.”

“I do live across from this and the traffic concerns me. I have trouble getting out of the driveway already. I’m concerned about traffic and noise because I enjoy the peace and quiet of our farmland,” she said.

“We are just used to peace and quiet of the summer every year out there,” she said.

Resident David D’Alessandro said he lived off Hance Bridge Road and was concerned that traffic would be more than the neighborhood could handle.

“You said 150 teams and that equates to 10,000 people seven days a week,” he said. “They’re day trippers in my opinion, going in and going out wherever they have to stay. No one mentioned the shore traffic, which is unbelievable Fridays and Sundays. I don’t believe they investigated this thoroghly.”

D’Alessandro said he was concerned people would cut through his neighborhood searching for a short cut to Mays Landing Road instead of taking Lincoln Avenue to go to Route 40.

“You are potentially looking at 500 cars through the neighborhood. I just hope they have a more detailed study done. I think they did some studies, but not realistic studies. People will be looking for shortcuts and investigating our neighborhoods,” he said.

John Dionis, representing Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust Property which owns Cumberland Mall, spoke during the public portion of the meeting and said the Magic Sports proposal was positive for the mall.

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“I think it is a tremendous idea,” said Dionis.

He said the mall stands to gain visitors.

“I think as far as community uses go, this is a positive location,” Dionis said. “And to be brief, we look forward to having them in our neighborhood.”

Sandy Forosisky, speaking as a local resident, said the tract of land Magic Sports seeks to build upon has always been earmarked for development.

Forosisky, also the city’s director of development, said the city had considered using the tract of land for another industrial park.

She said she had contacted outdoor retailers Cabelas and Bass Pro Shop to locate on the site, but did not get a reply.

“The improvements will leave it better than it is now. I know there are concerns but this is zoned IB (industrial business). I think the project should be approved. It was always a plan to develop this land,” Forosisky said.

Resident Maria Perez urged the Zoning Board not to let the Magic Sports opportunity go to another county.

“This project is the greatest thing that ever happened to this county,” Perez said. “Let’s not be foolish and let’s not turn this down and have another county pick it up.

“I am a person concerned about youth in this community. We have no skating rink, no bowling alley. Hangar 84 is gone. We don’t have anything. And I will tell you, I will be the first one going down the water slide when the park opens.” Perez said.

Tommy Serra, a local businessman and resident, called the Magic Sports project “music to my ears.”

“The sound of children’s voices, this is a better sound for me,” Serra said. “I think the community will get behind this project. I think its a great thing. It’s inevitable. We’re going to live with it. It has to be, it’s going to be.”

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